Description:In shaping our vision of the future we must not only be aware of the potential inherent in interactive media, but also recognise how the experience of these developments influences public life itself. It is in understanding this process that Douglas Rushkoff ’s pamphlet is a timely contribution. Here he argues that the way in which the internet encourages user activity can be a metaphor for reawakening a public appetite for civic engagement. Tracing the changes in the way in which the internet has been used, he highlights the way in which its impact can be felt beyond the computer screen.